Tuyere



2 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 27, 1948. I w. A. RIDDELL TUYER Filed Feb. 27, 1946 Mm 4 W w E 1 E I I'll F f M m w W u \WIM M \{H i atented Apr. 27,1948

2,440,382 T YERE William A. Riddell, Frederick, Md., assignor to The General Engineering Company, Frederick, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application February 27, 1946, Serial No. 650,595

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tuyre plates such as used in underfeed stoker furnaces and boilers, and the primary object is to provide a tuyre plate construction such as to cooperate with adjacent plates to provide an improved ventilation and attain the maximum scrubbing action from the air passing between the plates, to keep the plates from burning. Another object is to provide a tuyere plate construction such that the air is delivered to the fuel bed to best advantage for combustion purposes while the air is caused to pass in contact with large areas and surfaces of the plates to effectively cool the portion thereof exposed to the heat of the fuel bed. Another object is to provide tuyere plates having cooperating meshing or interlocking cooling fins or ribs between which the air is caused to pass and with means for supporting the ribs in spaced relation to provide air passageways while supporting the plates against sagging when hot.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompany n drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of two superimposed tuyere plates of a row such as is conventionally. arranged in a retort or furnace, with the uppermost plate shown partially in horizontal section, along with the fins or ribs on the bottom plate, to illustrate the meshing relation of these ribs.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross sectional view along the line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical and longitudinal sectional view through the forward or nose portions of two adjacent tuyere plates, showing a slightly modified version thereof.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but also showing a slightly modified form of plate.

Referring now more particularly and by reference numerals to the drawing, I0 designates a tuyre plate, a series of which are set up on each other in superimposed relation and offset rearwardly so as to expose their rounded forwardly slopping forward ends or nose portions 1 l to the fuel bed and form an inclined support for the fuel bed. The plates are supported in spaced relation each above the one next below, by means later to be pointed out, so that spaces are provided for air to flow forwardly from between the plates to support combustion in the fuel bed.

Each plate is provided with a depending integrally formed positioning member l2 which ex- 2 tends through an aperture IS in the plate next below so as to hold the plates in proper ofiset relation while permitting them to be readily removed from the series when they become burned badly enough to require ultimate replacement.

The rear ends of the plates have inwardly or forwardly curved edges [4 which form air induction recesses and allow air to enter the back of the series of plates and reach and flow forwardly between each adjacent pair. The rear corners of the plates also have depending side ribs or flanges l5 which rest upon the plate next below and laterally confine the air flow as well as support the plates at these points.

As thus far described the plates are quite conventional in construction and assembly but in accordance with my present invention I provide on the lower surface of each plate, at its forward portion, a plurality of integral, depending and radial forwardly diverging lower ribs or fins [6. Likewise on the upper surfaces of the plates, back of the fuel bed supporting nose portions H thereof, I provide a similar and complementarily arranged series of upper upwardly projecting fins or ribs l1. When the plates are then assembled or stacked upon each other in properly offset relation, the lower ribs IE will depend into the channels or spaces [8 between the upper ribs I! on the plate next below, so thatthe respective upper and lower ribs have a meshing or interdigitating relationship, as clearly shown in the drawing. However, the ribs do not contact one another at any point but are spaced apart on all surfaces (see Figs. 2 and 3) so that air may pass freely between the plates around and alon the ribs on its path to the fuel bed.

The upper edges of the upper ribs ll have two, more or less, small integral upstanding lugs or bosses [9 upon which the next plate above rests (Fig. 2) thus supporting the plates with the ribs spaced from each other and adjacent plates, while not materially affecting air flow. These lugs also support the plates against sagging or buckling when they are hot, as will be evident.

It will be apparent that the cooperating ribs both above and below the plates provide a maximum area of exposure to the air flowing forwardly between the plates and the air is caused to have a scrubbing heat exchanging action on those large plate areas such as to remove heat to greatest possible advantage. Tests have proven that the enhanced cooling efiect is very advantageous and that the plates will not burn out nearly as rapidly as other commonly used plates having no ribs, or ribs only on their lower surfaces.

Attention is called to the fact that the upper ribs or fins l1 terminate well short of the forwardly inclined nose portions l l of the plates. Thus these ribs are not exposed to the burning fuel but are protected therefrom by the nose portions and the overhanging edges of the plates next above, indicated at 20 in Fig. 2. As there also shown the lower ribs or fins I6 fall short at their forward ends of these forward edges 20 of the plates, as indicated at 2| However, I may as shown in Fig. 4, extend the lower ribs or fins I6 clear out flush with the forward edges of e the plates as indicated at 22 thus eliminating the overhang or shelf arrangement of Fig. 2 and possibly assisting in cooling the thin and com paratively readily burned forward edges of the plates.

It will further be noted that the lower edges of 23 of the lower ribs or fins l6 are supported, by

the lugs l9, in spaced relation to the adjacent upper surfaces of the plate next below. These horizontal spaces, as well as the similar spaces above the ribs I1 and between upper edges thereof and the underside of the plate above, allow a sheet of air to pass through without trouble to the fuel bed, and together with the spaces between adjacent side portions of the ribs provide for scrubbing and cooling action from the air around all sides and surfaces of the ribs. Preferably these horizontal or upper and lower air spaces are thicker or greater than the vertical spaces between sides of the lugs, as clearly seen in Fig. 3, since the greatest volume of moving air is thus carried in contact with the respective upper and lower surfaces of the plates where the cooling effect is most needed. Each rib or fin is seen to be spaced on these sides or surfaces from adjacent surfaces of the next plate.

The ribs or fins l6 and I! as thus far shown and described are generally square in cross section (Fig. 3) thus forming sharp edges but I may, as shown in Fig. 5, form both the upper and lower ribs, there indicated at I! and lfi respectively, in rounded or fluted shape so that no sharp and readily burned, corners or edges are present. Here again lugs l9 are provided to properly space the ribs and support the plates and the construction and operation are otherwise exactly as previously described.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination at least two superimposed tuyre plates, the upper plate having a series of spaced depending lower ribs arranged in forwardly diverging relationship and the lower plate having upwardly projecting ribs on its upper surface adapted to loosely mesh with the lower ribs on said upper plate, and means supporting the plates with all of said ribs spaced on three sides from adjacent plate and rib surfaces.

2. In combination at least two superimposed tuyere plates, the upper plate having a series of 4 spaced depending lower ribs arranged in forwardly diverging relationship and the lower plate having upwardly projecting ribs on its upper surface adapted to loosely mesh with the lower ribs on said upper plate, and means supporting the plates with the respective upper and lower ribs spaced from the adjacent plate surfaces.

3. In combination at least two superimposed tuyere plates, the upper plate having a series of spaced depending lower ribs arranged in forwardly diverging relationship and the lower plate having upwardly projecting ribs on its upper surface adapted to loosely mesh with the lower ribs on said upper plate and form air channels around and between the ribs, and means on at least part of said ribsfor supporting the plates in vertically spaced relation such that the respective upper and lower edges of the upper and lower ribsclear the adjacent plate surfaces.

4. In combination at least two superimposed tuyere plates, the upper plate having a series of spaced depending lower ribs arranged in forwardly diverging relationship and the lower plate having upwardly projecting ribs on its upper surface adapted to loosely mesh with the lower ribs on said upper plate and form air channels around and between the ribs, and lugs on the upper edges of said upper ribs adapted to upwardly supportably engage the upper plate when rested thereon.

5. In combination at least two superimposed tuyre plates, the upper plate having depending lower ribs and the lower plate having mating upper ribs upwardly projecting loosely between said lower ribs, and means supporting the plates in vertically spaced relationship such that both horizontal and vertical'air channels are formed along the ribs for the passage of air streams therebetween, and the vertical spacing between plates being such in comparison to the width of the ribs that the horizontal air spaces are larger than the vertical air spaces whereby the larger streams of air may pass along the heated adjacent surfaces of the plates themselves in heat exchanging relation thereto. a

6. In combination at least two superimposed tuyere plates, the upper plate-havinga-series'of spaced depending lower ribs and the lowerplate having upwardly projecting ribs on its upper surface adapted to loosely meshwith the lower ribs on said upper plate, and means supporting the plates with the respective upper and lower edges of the upper and lower ribs spaced from the'adjacent plate surfaces. 7

Y WILLIAM A, RIDDELL.

7 REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS l 1 I Ridden ;-..'July 5; 1938 

